Has anyone heard of the MLM Prepaid Legal. I live in SoCal and three of my friends are caught up in it. One quite heavily. She is taking trips to Caribbean Islands that she cannot afford and is now almost completely associating with her new prepaid legal family. I was at a "party" at her house and the new friends are, of course, unlike any of her old friends in that their only apparent common interest is Prepaid Legal.

Perhaps there's another thread on this site about PPL but I couldn't find it.

Any comments or info would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks,

JB

P.S. I'm also noticing, in this tough job market, a number of people using Starbucks as their office/HQ for MLM's involving selling cell phone services. These people are multiplying like Tribbles.

Yes, it is like keeping legal council on retainer. No, I am not involved with any prepaid legal organization.

You pay a monthly fee and have council/representation as you need it. But, I doubt you would want this if you were in a serious pickle and needed extensive legal representation.

If you get a speed ticket out of state, someone within the national Prepaid Legal network would take up for you.

There are so many lawyers out there, and more waiting in the wings in law school now, that new devices like legal networks are a way for them to find work and not starve. The current market is saturated and new legal concepts must be created and exploited. Thus a new market.

If you are in a medical HMO, your network doctor has agreed to pay less than his/her usual office rate to garner more "traffic". I presume Prepaid Legal is the same type of network, only for legal rep and council.

And yes, it is a MLM distribution of services model. Contrary to what most everyone else on this board thinks, MLM is not bad as long as the "customer" takes the time to research the opportunity and not be manipulated by some over zealous "distributor".

"selling phone services" I believe was Excel. I do not think they are currently in business. Only one product with little consumable goods and thus non return customer base.

Warren Buffett says you must know everything, and he meant everything before entering/buying a business. He was not talking MLM, but the advice covers this model also. Do not buy in unless you want to run a business.

Yes, there was someone in my community who tried to recruit me into it. I don't know if it is legit or not, but this person was extremely evasive in answering my questions. For example, he would not tell me the names of any of the lawyers that were involved or give me any information. I found this extremely suspicious. If I am going to fork over my hard-earned money then I want my questions answered. I do not want to wait until I am in legal trouble and find out that I have paid for an essentially worthless policy.